Group Cruise-transfer TA's

[omgletmeon]

Let me start off by saying I am sorry if this is long winded!

 

I have a group booking for Sept. 2010 with approx. 17 cabins booked through a TA. Everyone called in their bookings individually to this TA.

 

I have had several questions come up, nothing big, just questions about amenity points and the OBC. I can not get a response from the TA through email or phone for over 2 weeks.

 

I have not received a group contract that states our OBC and have not been given a choice as to how to spend our amenity points etc.

 

Maybe I am confused about this but I thought I read that when booking a group you were given a contract that outlined everything you were promised and what each cabin rates were etc.

 

Should this concern me? I do not want to get on this ship and have 30+ people ready to kill me because the $100 OBC they were promised has not appeared.

 

I ask here because I am under the impression that now the TA owns the booking so carnival will not talk to me.

If I decide that I no longer want to work with this TA can I have another TA take over the booking?

If I choose to use a different TA does each person booked have to call original TA and cancel and then call new TA and book all over again? Or will Carnival just switch the bookins to new TA's name?

 

I tried to make it as clear as possible...hopefully it is readable and understandable.

 

Thanks in advance

[G'ma]

If you have booked a group sailing with a TA and have negotiated certain amenities with that TA, then you need to receive a contract from that TA outlining exactly what is included. Without the contract, there is nothing in place for your group. "Verbal" promises are not contracts.

 

The contract will outline the number and category of all cabins, the price on each cabin, what amenities will be given to each cabin, any free berths that are given, how the names are added to the group, when final payment is due, amenties onboard such as cocktail party, etc.

 

A reputable TA will present this contract to you to sign and return BEFORE deposits are made. None in the group should be putting down money until they - and you - know what you're buying. At this point, you aren't buying anything except berths in a cabin on a cruise. You have nothing in writing....

 

You must contact this TA immediately and demand a contract with ALL particulars in it....and tell your group to stop booking until you get it. Tell the TA that you will cancel the group and book directly with Carnival or another agency if he doesn't comply quickly.

 

You cannot transfer a TA booking to another agency without the original TA agreeing to it....and most don't agree...it's THEIR booking and they usually won't turn it (and the money they'll be making) over to anyone..and, they are not required to do so. They would simply cancel it.

 

Your options are to get on the agent and make him comply - or cancel and book with someone else.

 

Should you decide to cancel, those who've already called in will have to cancel their own reservations...you can't do that. Ordinarily, you would have that option with a group...but, you have no contract saying this is a group booking or anything else.

 

Before you decide to cancel, you need to know if the original TA has a cancellation policy...that would also have been in the contract or at least on the website.....

 

Dealing with group bookings of any kind can be a disaster if you don't know what you're supposed to do, don't know how group bookings work, don't know the necessary steps, etc. A brick-and-mortar agent would assist you and probably do things right....on the internet, who knows?

 

Don't wait for this guy to answer emails...he has no incentive to do so....call them and keep calling until you get the agent or HIS boss...

[psbtrvlr]

We had this happen too. I called the Carnival group department and told them what was going on. They looked up my reservation and it wasn't specifically listed with the non-responsive TA. It was actually listed as belonging to a consortium. Carnival gave me the consortium phone number, and said that they couldn't help me. I called the consortium and complained. Wanted to know if they would move our reservation to another agency/agent. They said they would, but they wanted me to give them time to contact our wayward agent and see if they could repair the damage. I don't know what they said to her, but she responds instantly any time anyone from my group emails or calls.

[omgletmeon]

I could kiss you! I thought as much but...guess I just didn't want to listen to that nagging little suspicion in the pit of my stomach.

 

Soon as I finish typing this I will be on the phone taking care of this. Good news is that they have no cancellation fees beyond what the cruiseline itself imposes and we are way way far from final payment and it was not booked early saver so that is not a worry!!